Read Me
by dinosoprano
Summary: The Marauders, their girls, Regulus and Severus read the Harry Potter books with no idea that they are learning their futures...and being given the chance to change the outcome. Since this will more than likely be removed eventually, send me you're email in my mailbox and I'll email you a copy so you can still read it.
1. The Books

**So, my When You Read series got deleted for the most ridiculous reason that had nothing to do with the story (somehow it was a list and not an actual story) so I'm going to finish this one first mostly because I can't remember what I wrote for the other one and I don't have it saved anywhere and I still have this one so…Enjoy! Reviews are most welcome!**

It had been a long day. O.W.L.s had been killer. The fifth years were all exhausted and some were even stressed. Even though the tests were officially over, several Gryffindor fifth years were in foul moods or sobbing in their room. Lily Evans was sitting on her bed sobbing onto Savannah White's shoulder. Mary MacDonald and Alice Marks were sitting on Lily's bed rubbing whatever part of her they could reach.

"I told you he would turn on you one day," Savannah remarked. "Snape was nothing more than a greasy git."

"You must admit, most everyone but you saw this coming," Mary said. "I wish you would have just let me hit him."

"I think Potter and his goons have done enough," Alice said.

"There's the problem!" Lily burst. "If Potter hadn't been embarrassing Sev, he never would have lashed out at me!"

"What kind of friend says such awful things though?" Savannah asked.

"It was Potter's fault! I could wring his neck!" Lily leapt up but Savannah and Mary grabbed his arms and flung her back onto her bed.

"Sit down Lily and quit being ridiculous," Mary said.

"As your best friend, I think you should stay up here and cool down," Savannah said. She turned to Mary and Alice. "Let her have a breather. We'll be downstairs in the common room if you need us."

Savannah, Mary and Alice left. When they got to the common room, James Potter shot toward them.

"Where's Lily?" he practically demanded.

"Upstairs thinking of the many ways she could get away with dismembering you," Mary said. James took a step back in alarm. Savannah rolled her eyes.

"Geez, Mary, just scare the poor guy out of his pants, Lily's upstairs calming down. You really pissed her off, James. Once again, you have blown your chance for her heart," Savannah teased.

"What happened to our deal, cuz?" James asked.

"I can't get Lily to like you if you're jinxing her friends. On the other hand, you may not have to worry about that. I think you have killed their friendship. Congratulations," Savannah said bowing to her obnoxious cousin.

"I don't get it, isn't it a good thing that Snivellous and Lilyflower aren't friends?" Sirius Black asked walking over.

"Snape was never a bad kid, you just brought out the worst in him because you're a bunch of idiots," Savannah spat. Sirius was the worst of the group in the girls' opinions.

"No matter how stupid Sirius or James are, neither one would ever use such a foul word when riled up," Remus spoke from behind his book. He was sitting on a nearby sofa apparently immersed in it.

"Still, it wouldn't have happened if they had left him alone," Alice said.

"Ouch!" Remus yelped. The others stopped arguing and looked over at him. An orange book was in his lap and he was rubbing his head as if the book had landed on it.

"What is that?" Sirius asked.

"A book, not that I would expect you to know that," Savannah said picking it up. "It doesn't have a title. It's just orange."

Remus took the book and attempted to open it to no avail. He shrugged.

"Wait, there's a name on here, possibly the author," Remus said looking at the spine. "Harry Potter, I wonder who he is."

"No relation to us," Savannah said looking at James who shook his head.

"Most Potter's in our family are Daniel, James or Harvey," James replied.

"Harvey?" Mary snickered. James glared but Mary kept giggling.

"Maybe something will happen and we'll be able to open the book. I'll keep it in my trunk," Remus said.

Nothing happened that day, or the next or even that month. The group waited in vain but soon summer was upon them and they were more worried about O.W.L. results than a stubborn book. It was an eventful summer. Sirius finally had a full out explosion with his mother in which he finally ran away. He spent the night at his cousin Andromeda's and then went to the Potter's place, much to Savannah's annoyance as she and her brother Dave were spending the summer at James' place. Frank finally got the courage to ask Alice on a date where they became an item. Lily wrote Savannah to tell her that Petunia, Lily's older sister, was engaged to a man named Vernon Dursley and that it had happened, Tobias Snape, Severus Snape's father, had gotten drunk and shot his wife, Eileen in the stomach with some contraption called a gun and was arrested for attempted murder under the influence or something of the sort.

The weirdest summer of all was Regulus Black's. He was sitting on his brother's bed wondering if he would come back and apologize or continue to be rebellious when something thunked onto the desk. Regulus yelped and jumped back. When he peered at the desk he realized it was nothing more than a green book. A novel by the size of it. Regulus picked it up and examined it. It had no distinguishing marks on it. The spine simply said Harry Potter. Regulus figured it was simply the author's name. Interest peaked, Regulus tried to open the book but it refused to give. Regulus stared at it dumbfounded. It had to have been one of Sirius's grand prank ideas. Regulus was about to toss it but he stopped. If it was indeed something of his brother's then he'd at least have one thing to remember Sirius by before his mother burned everything. Regulus gripped the book tightly and slipped into his room where he stuck the book in his trunk.

That school year Sirius and Savannah started dating to many student's (and professor's) shock. They had hated each other even more than Lily hated James. Even more shocking was that Lily was talking to James civilly. It was almost like they were friends. Peter wasn't around as much for whatever reason, though the marauders hardly noticed since Mary had asked Remus to be her boyfriend by snogging him in front of the whole common room effectively turning him into a tomato. Toward the end of the year, Severus was nearly killed by Remus in werewolf form after a very angry Sirius told him how to work the Whomping Willow. Savannah found out through Lily what happened and she promptly dumped Sirius in her fury over his stupidity. Severus was told to tell no one, but he told Regulus as his brother was hanging out with a werewolf. Regulus was shocked but he wasn't angry like Snape was. He liked Remus, the only one from the marauders who didn't tease him or bully him. Sirius was then suspended for a month in which he was imprisoned by his cousin Nymphadora for "being naughty."

All too soon summer was back and everyone was going their own ways. When Lily got home she opened her trunk to unpack only to find a rather large blue novel sitting on top of her text books. Curious, she picked it up and examined it. The spine read Harry Potter. She had never heard of that author before so it must have been a wizard author as she knew most muggle authors. Wanting to know more she tried to open the book to no avail. She shrugged. It must have fallen in her trunk by accident. She'd leave it in there and return it to the train on September first and see if anyone was missing a magical book by Harry Potter. She soon forgot all about the book as that summer she got her first taste of the war everyone talked about. Her parents were murdered not four weeks into the summer vacation. Petunia blamed her and refused to let her come to the funerals. Having no place to go, Savannah offered to take her in which meant Lily saw a lot of James and Sirius that summer (Savannah and Sirius had gotten back together after his "well-deserved punishment"). It turned out that James had had the same luck as Lily because both his parents had died in an attack when James was on his way home.

As the summer came to a close, Frank Longbottom was packing his things in his trunk when he realized there was an extra book in his trunk. It was a large brown novel with no title. Thinking his mother had bought him a new book he looked at the spine and saw Harry Potter as the author. He shrugged and tossed it into his trunk wondering if he'd even have the time for pleasure reading this year. It turned out he didn't. Alice kept him busy as did his ever crazy roommates. James and Lily finally got together that year. Peter was almost non-existent claiming to have a girlfriend which Alice confirmed was Hufflepuff Karen Allbright (who turned out not to be very bright ironically). Lily cried for almost a whole day when she found out Severus had joined the Death Eaters at the first Hogsmeade weekend. James could find no way to comfort neither her nor Sirius who was in a similar predicament. Regulus had done the very same thing and Sirius had grown uncommonly quiet since he found out. Then graduation came and everything was forgotten as Frank proposed to Alice.

That summer Dumbledore approached the newly graduated seventh years and invited them to join an anti-Voldemort group. He told them that they had been the best in their year and that they would be valuable assets. James and Sirius joined immediately. Slowly, Lily, Remus, Savannah, and Mary joined. Frank and Alice were recruited by Rufus Scrimgeour to be quick trained aurors so they could immediately start fighting Death Eaters. Soon after they too joined the Order of the Phoenix. Alice and Frank were married and shortly after James and Lily were engaged. It was after Peter told him that Snape was in his room angrily shredding blank paper when the little green book appeared out of the pile of papers. Upon seeing Potter scrawled across the bind, he threw it with all his might into a random bin and fell to the floor sobbing.

It was the day before James and Lily were to be wed when something finally happened. The gang was together having a joint bachelor and bachelorette party when James had gone to the kitchen to get more Kool-Aid (yes, Kool-Aid) where, sitting beside the Kool-Aid jug on the counter, he found a small red book. It seemed familiar. He looked at the binding and realization hit him. Harry Potter…the orange book Remus had…

"Remus, come here!" James called.

"What is it?" Remus asked coming into the tiny kitchen. He saw the book in James' hand. "What is that?"

"Do you still have that orange book that hit you after the O.W.L.s?" James asked. Comprehension dawned on Remus' face.

"Is that another Harry Potter book?" he asked. James nodded. "I don't know if I still have it, I forgot all about it," Remus said honestly.

"What is taking so long, James?" Lily asked coming into the already space-limited room. She saw the book. "Why are reading at a time like this?" she asked.

"I'm not, it just appeared here. Remus has one just like it from years ago. This author, Harry Potter must not want anyone to read his writings or something-"

"Harry Potter, I have one of his books," Lily said taking the book from him and trying to open it.

"You do?" Remus asked. Lily nodded. "I got it right before my parents died. It was in my trunk and I thought someone had dropped it in there but I forgot all about it. I think it's still in my trunk."

"Do you think it's a coincidence that the three of us have gotten a Harry Potter book?" Remus asked.

"No, someone's trying to tell us something. I can feel it," James replied.

"Do you think anyone else has one?" Lily asked.

"I don't know, but we're going to find out." James said taking the book back and going into the living room.

"There you are, we thought you had gotten lost," Sirius teased.

"No, another one of those books was sitting on the kitchen counter," James said showing Sirius the book.

"Wait, there are more of them?" Frank asked.

"You have one?" Alice asked.

"Yeah, I thought my mother had given it to me. I didn't have time to read it though because last year was so hectic," Frank said.

"Did yours open?" Remus asked.

"I don't know, I never tried,"

"We need to get them all here, Remus, Lily, Frank, why don't you go fetch your books," James said.

"Then what?" Savannah asked trying to see the logic.

"Maybe if they're all together they will finally open," Alice suggested.

"It's worth a try," James said. The others nodded and went to get their books. When they had returned they set all the books on the coffee table. Nothing remarkable happened. The covers remained blank and the pages still refused to be pried apart.

"That was exciting," Savannah said sarcastically.

"Wait," Remus said always being the first to notice something.

"What?" Sirius asked excitedly.

"There are numbers appearing on the spines at the very top," Remus said pointing to the orange book. Year 7 appeared in white lettering. "Maybe that means book seven."

"As in a series?" Mary asked.

"Exactly," Remus said. "Mine is book seven, Frank's is book four, Lily's is five, and James' is two."

"So where are one, three and six?" Sirius asked. Suddenly the books shot into a stack, one on top of the other in order (or as much as they could with their missing counterparts not among them). They began to float toward the door.

"I think they can track each other down," Lily said. "Is anyone else a bit creeped out?"

"Let's follow them before they get away!" Sirius shouted running after the stack. The others quickly followed. They didn't know how long they walked but soon Sirius grew agitated.

"I don't like this," he said.

"You wanted to follow them," Savannah snapped shivering slightly in the chilly summer night air.

"I didn't think it would lead us to Grimmauld Place," Sirius spat.

"Grimmauld Place, you mean the street you grew up on?" James asked.

"I don't blame you for leaving," Alice said staring at a bum sitting in a gutter. "This place is creepy."

"It just got worse," Sirius moaned watching the books float up to a second story window and crashing into it making a heck of a racket.

"Oh no, it'll wake the beasts up!" Sirius shouted running over to the books. "Stop that!" he hissed. The books continued to bang until a shadow appeared at the window.

"Hide!" Sirius hissed. The books flumped down at his feet. Before Sirius could hide with his friends the window opened.

"What the he-what are you doing here?" It was Regulus and he didn't seem pleased to see his brother under his old window.

"I'm…I was…"

"Miss home then, huh? Not as detached as you thought," Regulus asked leaning on the windowsill.

"I don't care about anyone in this damned house," Sirius spat. Regulus glared though clearly hurt by his brothers words.

"Then why are you here?" Regulus asked again more coldly this time.

"We're looking for a book," Remus interrupted coming out of hiding. Regulus raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"How many of your buddies did you bring?" Regulus demanded.

"It doesn't matter; do you have a book by Harry Potter?" Remus asked.

"Yes, but I'm not giving it to you," Regulus said.

"Come on Reg, we need it," Sirius pleaded. He hated begging his little brother.

"What will I get out of it?" Regulus asked.

"Noth-ooph!"

"You can come with us and read them. We think all of them have to be in the same room before they'll open up," Remus said cutting off Sirius with his elbow. Sirius glared. Regulus seemed to be thinking.

"Okay, but I have one request," Regulus said.

"Of course you do," Sirius muttered. "What is it?' he asked.

"How the hell did you get out of this window without getting yourself killed? I'll have to come out this window."

Sirius almost laughed. He shook his head and climbed the tree up to the roof where he climbed on and inched over to the window. He slipped in then tossed the brown book down to Remus. The book immediately zoomed in between Remus' and Lily's books and the stack took off.

"Hurry!' Remus hissed up at them.

"We'll have to jump," Sirius said.

"Are you mad? This is a two-story window!" Regulus hissed.

"Just bend your knees and roll," Sirius said jumping down and rolling to a stop by the sidewalk. Regulus gulped and followed. It wasn't so bad, he'd have a few bruises but he was alive. He and Sirius quickly ran to catch up with the others and the books. It was few hours later when Lily gasped. The books were floating over the playground between her neighborhood and Snape's and heading toward Spinner's End. Her steps faltered but she kept going. It seemed that Severus had one of the other books. The books floated right up to Snape's childhood home and flumped loudly onto the doormat. A TV in the room beyond was muted. Lily gulped.

"What's wrong, love?" James asked.

"This is…" Lily began. The door opened. Severus Snape stepped back in surprise and then glared.

"What the hell are you all doing here?" he demanded. Lily frowned.

"Visiting you apparently," she snapped. Severus gaped at her before Regulus stepped forward.

"Do you have a book by Harry Potter by chance?" he asked.

"Unfortunately, I tried to throw it away several times but it just keeps coming back, why?" Severus asked suspiciously.

"We'll get it off your hands," Regulus said. "We're looking for it and we've walked halfway across the stinking country to get it."

Severus stood in the doorway one more minute before retreating back into his house. Seconds later he appeared with a little green book. He handed it to Regulus.

"Good riddance to it," he said preparing to shut the door. The door had other plans though. Before he had closed it all the way it swung back open. Snape glared at Sirius. Sirius shrugged.

"It's not me, I left my wand in James' flat," he said.

"Not the brightest idea," Savannah remarked. Snape rolled his eyes and went to close the door again but it smacked his rear end and sent him sprawling into his front yard before swinging shut. A distinctive "click" was heard. It was hard for many of them not to laugh as Snape picked himself up.

"Okay, who's doing that?" he demanded.

"None of us have wands," Lily said.

"Well maybe it's the books," Severus said sarcastically.

"Maybe it is," Lily said glaring at her former best friend.

"How am I supposed to get back into my house?' Severus snapped.

"I don't know, why not break a window?" Lily said cheerily. Severus glared.

"Or just come with us," Regulus suggested. Sirius groaned and James mouthed "no."

"Seeing as my other option is to vandalize my own home, it would appear that I have no choice but to join you,"

"Good because the books are glowing blue like a portkey," Remus said quickly touching them.

"Yes, that means we don't have to walk," Savannah sighed touching the books. The others followed, Severus rather reluctantly. Soon they were all spinning in a circle and slamming into the ground. Except some of the ground was up higher making it rather lumpy. Lily and Mary landed on a pile of blankets and Savannah landed on the pillows beside them. Frank landed on some very uncomfortable mattresses and Alice landed on top of him. Sirius, James and Remus landed in a pile on a large sofa and Regulus fell on a recliner that promptly snapped open smacking him in the face. Severus landed on the floor. All of them groaned and sat up.

"Where are we?" Alice asked.

"I don't know, but there are couches, beds and FOOD!" Sirius said jumping up. He ran toward the table where he began to stuff his face full of tacos. His friends laughed but it didn't last long. Sitting on the only table in the room was a small purple book. It was the first book only it was different. On the front was a boy that looked a lot like James. He was flying on a broomstick about ready to catch a Golden Snitch. There was also a three-headed dog in the background. Both were in a castle. The title of this book shown in gold letters: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

"We had it wrong," Remus said picking up the small book. "Harry Potter isn't the author, he's the main character."

"Read the back, let's find out what it's about," Lily said. Remus flipped the book over.

"**Harry Potter has never played a sport while flying on a broomstick.**"

"That's a shame," Sirius interrupted. Remus rolled his eyes and continued.

"**He's never worn a cloak of invisibility, befriended a giant or helped hatch a dragon. All Harry knows is a miserable life with the Dursleys,**"

Lily gasped.

"What is it?" James asked.

"Dursleys, that's my in-laws last name. My sister married Vernon Dursley." Lily said.

"Coincidence?" Mary suggested.

"I don't know…maybe," Remus said. "**his horrible aunt and uncle, and their abominable son, Dudley. Harry's room is a tiny closet at the foot of the stairs and he hasn't had a birthday party in eleven years. But all that is about to change when a mysterious letter arrives by owl messenger: a letter with an invitation to a wonderful place he never dreamed existed. There he finds not only friends, aerial sports, and magic around every corner, but a great destiny that's been waiting for him…if Harry can survive the encounter.**"

Remus looked up.

"Sounds good, let's read," Sirius said settling on a gold striped red couch with a taco and a burrito. Savannah shrugged and sat beside him. Remus sat beside her and Mary sat beside him. Frank and Alice took a yellow loveseat with black dots on it. Severus sat on a blue chair with bronze stars and Regulus sat on a green chair with silver moons. James sat on the other yellow loveseat. Lily bit her lip, still thinking about the Dursleys and Harry Potter, and then joined her fiancé. Remus cleared his throat preparing to read.


	2. TBWL

**Author's Note: I don't own Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling does. Please review, good, bad, all of it helps! Enjoy!**

Chapter 2: Book 1

"**Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone,"**Remus began. "**The Boy Who Lived,**"

"The boy lived through what?" Sirius asked.

"If you let me read we'll find out," Remus said irritably.

**Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense.**

Sirius made a face. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"If it really is my brother-in-law," Lily said. "It means magic."

"Magic isn't nonsense," Mary said.

"To them magic is," James said. "Wizards mean the same thing as a Squib to pureblood fanatics." Sirius made another face as Remus continued.

**Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings , which made drills. He was a big, beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache.**

Lily sighed. Savannah patted her.

"I take it that's him?" she asked.

"Yes, I suppose that means I'll be in here eventually,"

"Which means I probably will be too," James said. "I wonder…" but he didn't elaborate what he was wondering.

**Mrs. Dursley was thin and blonde and had nearly twice the usual amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbors.**

"It doesn't seem like Petunia's changed at all," Severus said quietly. Sirius glared at him.

"How do you know Lily's sister?" he asked.

"We were neighbors how could I not know Petunia? She hated me, thought I was stealing Lily from her or something. Jealous, I suppose," Severus explained. James looked between Lily and Severus.

"You two were neighbors?" he asked skeptically. Lily nodded.

"Well, technically we lived in separate neighborhoods that were only split up by a park is all," she explained. James nodded not liking that Snape had been so close to her even after their falling out.

**The Dursleys had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere.**

"That must mean it's the future unless your sister already has a baby," Alice said.

"Well, she's pregnant and I think she's due in June," Lily said.

"So this is either shortly after he's born or at least three years after his birth," Mary said.

**The Dursleys had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if anyone found out about the Potters.**

"Why, because I might jinx your toes together?" James asked. Lily glared at her fiancé.

**Mrs. Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister, but they hadn't met for several years; in fact Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister, because her sister and her good-for –nothing husband** **were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be. The Dursleys shuddered to think what the neighbors would say if the Potters arrived in the street.**

"Why would we visit them? We know we aren't wanted," James said.

"Maybe Petunia thinks I'll keep trying to reconcile with her," Lily said rather sadly. James put an arm around her. He hated it when she was upset.

**The Dursleys knew that the Potters had a small son, too, but they had never even seen him. This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that.**

"We have a son?" James asked excitedly. "I wonder when this will happen," he said raising his eyebrows at his fiancée. Lily smiled.

"No, I'm not pregnant; if I were you would have to be very worried as we've never even slept in the same house let alone the same bed yet," she said.

"Yes, but we'll be married tomorrow, so it could happen very soon," James said excitedly.

"I didn't know you were this eager to have a baby," Savannah said watching her cousin.

"Well, it didn't occur to me until now," James replied. Savannah rolled her eyes.

"What about the war?" Remus said breaking the excitement.

"What about it?' James asked.

"You can't honestly want a child while you're both fighting Voldemort, do you?" Remus asked. Lily's face fell.

"He's got a point…"

"But this book says we will," James said his smile fading.

"James, this book could be nothing more than a trick…"

"Remus, shut up and keep reading," Mary snapped. Remus glared at his girlfriend but obeyed.

**When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on a dull, gray Tuesday, our story starts. There was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work, and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair.**

Lily shook her head. She would bet anything that Petunia would pamper that poor child to death.

**None of them noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window.**

Remus crinkled his brow. What was an owl doing near the Dursleys house?

**At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye, but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls.**

Lily rolled her eyes. Yep, this child was probably faultless in Petunia's eyes.

**"Little tyke," chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house. He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive.**

**It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar—a cat reading a map.**

"He's either going mad or there's an Animagus living in his neighborhood," Frank said.

"I like the first suggestion," Lily said.

**For a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen—then he jerked his head around to look again. There was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have he been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back.**

"Looks like Lily picked the right suggestion," Savannah said. Everyone laughed.

**As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road, he watched the cat in his mirror. It was now reading the sign that said Privet Drive—no**_**looking**_**at the sign; cats couldn't read maps**_**or**_**signs. Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he thought of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day.**

**But on the edge of town, drills were driven out of his mind by something else. As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help noticing that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks.**

Frank looked confused. "Cloaks aren't normal?"

"No, most muggles wear coats or jackets or a jumper," Lily explained. Frank didn't seem to comprehend but he nodded. Jumper he understood, but jacket and coat meant nothing to him.

**Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes—the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eyes fell on a huddle of these weirdoes standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together.**

"This really isn't very smart," Alice said. "They're going to attract way too much attention."

"Something happened, that much is for sure," Remus said.

"But what?" Sirius asked.

"Let's keep reading and find out," Remus said.

**Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than he was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak! The nerve of him!**

Everyone laughed.

"Is it the cloak, or the color that annoys him?" Savannah asked.

"Both but mostly the cloak," Lily replied.

**But then it struck Mr. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt—these people were obviously collecting for something…yes, that would be it. The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in the Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills.**

**Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office on the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning.**_**He**___**didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people down in the street did; they pointed and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead. Most of them had never seen an owl even at nighttime. Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more.**

"What a lovely man," Alice said in distaste. "What does your sister see in him?"

"I really don't know," Lily sighed.

**He was in a very good until lunchtime, when he thought he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakery. He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy.**

"That's because you don't like magic. Even Muggles can sense magic," Sirius said.

**This bunch was whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

**"The Potters, that's right, that's what I heard-"**

**"—yes, their son, Harry-"**

"Harry? Like the title?' Alice asked.

"So your son is the main character, that means you guys are like major supporting characters," Sirius said. "And hopefully that means I'm also a major supporting character.'

"In your dreams Padfoot," James laughed.

**Mr. Dursley stopped dead. Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it.**

**He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office, snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone, and had almost finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his mustache, thinking…no, he was being stupid.**

**Potter wasn't such an unusual name.**

"He's got a point but he should stop avoiding the inevitable," James said.

"Which is what?" Remus asked raising an eyebrow.

"I…don't know," James said lamely.

**He was sure there were lots of people called Potter who had a son called Harry. Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew**_**was**_**called Harry. He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold.**

"He doesn't know his nephew's name?" Mary asked disgusted.

"We're beneath him, he could care less what my son's name is," Lily said.

"How did he know you even have a son?" Alice asked.

"Petunia's still my sister. I would tell her I was pregnant," Lily said as though it were obvious.

**There was no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her—if he'd had a sister like that…**

"She'd be uglier than a troll," Sirius sniggered. Lily glared at him.

"That's not nice,' she said.

"Neither is he," Sirius retorted.

**but all the same, those people in cloaks…**

**He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and when he left the building at five o' clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.**

"Poor bloke, he probably plowed right through him," Sirius said sympathetically.

"**Sorry," he grunted, as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It was a few seconds before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said in a squeaky voice that made passerby stare, "Don't be sorry, my dear sir, for nothing could upset me today! Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last!"**

Everyone gasped.

"He's gone?" Alice squealed.

"See Moony? It's okay to have a kid, Voldemort is gone," James said.

"How though, no one's been able to figure out to stop him, not even Dumbledore!" Remus said.

"Well, they mentioned the Potters…" Sirius hinted.

"Oh yes, James and Lily manage to stop Voldemort even when Dumbledore couldn't. That makes a lot of sense," Remus snapped.

"But-" Sirius began.

"Padfoot, let's keep reading and find out what happened," James said affectively stopping the argument. Something didn't feel right. He and Lily had come face to face with Voldemort three times already and he knew neither one of them was a match to him. They couldn't have defeated him.

**Even Muggles like yourself should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!"**

**And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle.**

Lily couldn't help it. She started to laugh.

"That had to be quite the scene to see," she giggled.

**Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.**

"No imagination!" Sirius moaned dramatically.

**As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw—and it didn't improve his mood—was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes.**

**"Shoo!" said Mr. Dursley loudly.**

**The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look.**

"McGonagall," Sirius chuckled. "She's the only cat I have ever seen give a stern look."

**Was this normal cat behavior? Mr. Dursley wondered.**

"It's normal McGonagall cat behavior at any rate," James chortled thinking Sirius was on to something.

**Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.**

**Mrs. Dursley had had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door Neighbor's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learned a new word (Won't). Mr. Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news:**

"_**And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nation's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changed their sleeping pattern." The newscaster allowed himself a grin. "Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be any more showers of owls tonight, Jim?"**_

"_**Well, Ted," said the weatherman,**_

Sirius looked thoughtful. "My cousin's husband, Ted Tonks just took a part time job as a news anchor, I wonder if that's him."

"Maybe," Frank said with a shrug.

_**"I don't know about that, but it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far apart as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars! Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early — it's not until next week, folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight."**_

"That is pretty careless," Frank said worried.

"They're celebrating!" Sirius exclaimed.

**Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And a whisper, a whisper of the Potters…**

"When he says it that way, I get goose bumps and a bad feeling in my gut," Alice said.

"That might just be the auror in you," Frank said hoping he was right.

**Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. "Er—Petunia, dear—you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"**

**As he expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister.**

Lily couldn't help but roll her eyes.

**"No," she said sharply. "Why?"**

**"Funny stuff on the news," Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls…shooting stars…and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today…"**

**"**_**So?**_**" snapped Mrs. Dursley.**

**"Well, I just thought…maybe…it was something to do with…you know…**_**her**_**crowd."**

"Her what?" Mary blurted. Lily shook her head. He had to say something like that, didn't he?

"It is simple phrase that Muggles who are not fond of abnormalities, including magic, use to describe it when they have no other means," Lily explained. "In other words, he refuses to say wizards."

"That's ridiculous," Savannah scoffed.

**Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dared tell her he'd heard the name "Potter." He decided he didn't dare.**

"At least he knows the woman's always right," James commented.

**Instead he said as casually as he could, "Their son—he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?"**

**"I suppose so," Mrs. Dursley said stiffly.**

**"What's his name again? Howard, isn't it?**

**"Harry. Nasty common name if you ask me."**

"Harry is a lovely name," Mary snapped at the book.

"Thanks, Mare," Lily laughed. "I rather like Harry myself."

**"Oh, yes," said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree."**

**He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something.**

**Was he imagining things? Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did…if it got out that they were related to a pair of—well, he didn't think he could bear it.**

**The Dursleys got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last, comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind…He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on—he yawned and turned over—it couldn't affect**_**them**_**…**

**How very wrong he was.**

"What do you suppose that means?" James asked feeling worried. Anything involving Vernon Dursley couldn't be good.

"I guess we'll find out," Remus said.

**Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed on the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all.**

**A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have thought he'd just popped out of the ground. The cat's tail twitched and its eyes narrowed.**

The tension in the room grew. They were finally going to get some answers.

**Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled buckled boots. His blue eyes were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice. This man's name was Albus Dumbledore.**

"What is Dumbledore doing there?" James asked.

"I guess we're going to find out," Regulus replied for the first time reminding everyone he was there.

**Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known."**

**He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop.**

"Awesome!" James and Sirius shouted.

"I've never heard of something like that," Remus said impressed.

"I think it spells disaster," Mary said.

"Why?" Sirius asked incredulously. "It's ingenious."

"And when someone like you gets a hold of it, there's no end to the pranks because you can turn all the lights off in a matter of seconds. Disastrous for everyone but you three," Mary explained.

**"**That wasn't what I was thinking, but thanks!" James said with a wink. Mary scowled.

**He clicked it again—the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyed Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.**

**"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."**

"Yes!" the marauders cheered.

**He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled. "How did you know it was me?" she asked.**

**"My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly.**

Everyone laughed.

**"You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on brick wall all day." said Professor McGonagall.**

"**All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here."**

"How do you do that when you Apparate?" Remus asked.

**Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.**

"**Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no—even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news." She jerked her head back at the Dursley's dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls…shooting stars…Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent—I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense."**

"No, he never has had much sense," Frank agreed.

"**You can't blame them, "said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."**

"So…this is in two years then, since the war has been going on for nine years so far," James said.

"That means your nephew will be one…" Remus said.

"And our son is either one, or younger," Lily said looking at James.

"**I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumors."**

"Just get on with it; we want to know what happened," Sirius said impatiently.

**She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really**_**has**_**gone, Dumbledore?"**

"**It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"**

"**A**_**what**_**?"**

"**A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of."**

"They're really good, I should have brought my stash," Lily pouted. Her friends laughed and Severus cracked a small grin. He remembered her lemon drop addiction well.

"**No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly as though she didn't thinkthis was the moment for lemon drops. "As I say, even if You-Know-Who**_**has**___**gone-"**

**"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You-Know-Who' nonsense—for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name:**_**Voldemort**_**."**

No one in the room flinched. Sirius raised his eyebrows at the two Death Eaters but they didn't respond.

**Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name."**

**"I know you haven't." said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admirable. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know-oh, all right,**_**Voldemort**_**was frightened of."**

**"You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have."**

"Because you're not dumb enough to use them," Lily said.

**"Only because you're too—well—**_**noble**_**to use them."**

**"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs."**

Everyone laughed. It was like Dumbledore to turn something serious into something light when the need arose.

**Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing compared to the rumors that are flying around. You know what they're saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?"**

"No, what?" Sirius demanded.

**It seemed that McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer.**

"It sounds like you're avoiding the topic," Alice said quietly.

James grew nervous. Something wasn't right…

**"What they're saying," she pressed on, "is that last night Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went looking for the Potters.**

"What does Voldemort want with you?" Remus asked. James shrugged. He felt suddenly tense.

**The rumor is that Lily and James Potter are—are—that they're—**_**dead**_**."**

There was silence. Then Sirius broke it.

"What? That can't be true."

Remus was pale. _It's just a book, it's nothing more than a story_ he tried to tell himself. It wasn't working. His friends were going to be dead in two years. How could this have happened?

Sirius seemed beyond tears. He just stared at nothing mouthing like a fish.

"I can't see you being so careless about protecting yourselves," Regulus said in shock. "Not after finally winning over Lily, let alone having their son."

Sirius finally blinked and looked at his brother. Then he nodded as though in agreement.

James glanced at Lily. She was deep in thought.

"What about Harry?" she finally asked. Her friends looked at her.

"What do you mean what about Harry?" Sirius asked.

"She said James and I were dead, she didn't mention Harry. Does that mean he's still alive?" Lily asked.

"Let's find out," James said not wanting to dwell on the fact that he died. That he was murdered.

**Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped.**

**"Lily and James…I can't believe it…I didn't want to believe it…Oh, Albus…"**

"Guess I have to believe you really do die, don't I?" Sirius sighed. James patted his shoulder comfortingly.

**Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know…I know…" he said heavily.**

**Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry.**

"What!" Lily whispered furiously.

"Calm down Lily, he said he _tried_, not that he succeeded," Savannah said quickly.

**But he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke—and that's why he's gone."**

"Harry defeated Voldemort?" Sirius spoke in awe.

"That's impossible, there's nothing Harry could have done," Remus scoffed at Sirius.

"Are you suggesting that Lily or James did it and still died?" Snape asked Remus an eyebrow raised.

"No, I'm just saying that a baby couldn't stop Voldemort. Lily and James have already dealt with him three times and they know they can't beat him. You spend enough time around him, what do you suggest?" Remus glared at Snape.

"The Dark Lord is careless. He gives us plenty of hints to what he's doing. You have to be perceptive enough to catch on." Snape finally said after a long pause.

"So how do you defeat him oh perceptive one," Sirius taunted.

"I never said it was easy to decipher his hints only that perceptive people can tell they are clues," Snape snapped. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Keep reading Moony, the book will probably give us more answers than this dodo."

**Dumbledore nodded glumly.**

**"It's—it's**_**true**_**?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done…all the people he's killed…he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding…of all the things to stop him…but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?"**

"That's the best question you've asked all night," James commented.

**"We can only guess." said Dumbledore. "We may never know."**

"Hogwash, you always know," Sirius said.

**Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"**

"Wait, why is Hagrid getting him?" Frank asked. "I thought maybe Remus or Sirius would, maybe even Peter."

James shrugged. "That's who I would have chosen but maybe Dumbledore had other ideas."

**"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me**_**why**_**you're here, of all places?"**

**"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now.**

"That's a lie," Savannah said. "What about Dave and I?"

"True, you would be the preferred choice," James said.

**"You don't mean—you**_**can't**_**mean the people who live**_**here**_**?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore—you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son—I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and live here!"**

**"It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter."**

"A letter, that's all? Tuney won't listen unless you talk to her in person," Lily said. Surely Dumbledore knew this? Or maybe he was hoping she remembered him and knew not to cross him.

**"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous—a legend—I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter Day in the future—there will be books written about Harry—every child in our world will know his name!"**

"There's a plus, your kid will be famous," Sirius laughed half-heartedly.

**"Exactly." said Dumbledore, looking very serious over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?"**

Lily sighed. As much as she hated the idea of not being able to raise her son herself or have her sister raise him for her, Dumbledore had a point. With Dave or Savannah he would be subjected to the stares of the wizarding population. At least at Tuney's he could grow up normal…or as normal as you can get with Petunia and Vernon as your guardians.

**Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes—yes, you're right, of course. But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.**

"**"Hagrid's bringing him."**

**"You think it—**_**wise**_**—to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"**

"I trust Hagrid," James said.

"Me too," Lily agreed.

**"I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore.**

"**I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to—what was that?"**

**A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky—and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.**

"Why does Hagrid have my bike?" Sirius asked.

"You have a flying motorcycle?' Regulus asked shaking his head.

"Yes, I do, got a problem with that?" Sirius demanded.

"No, it just seems like something you would own," Regulus replied calmly.

"Oh," Sirius said deflating a bit.

**If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild—long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.**

**"Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?"**

**"Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir."**

"The first mention of me!' Sirius said excitedly.

"And hopefully it's the only mention," Remus whispered. Sirius childishly stuck his tongue out at him.

**"No problems, were there?"**

**"No sir—house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol."**

**Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.**

James and Lily exchanged a glance. Only cursed wounds were shaped like that. What did it mean?

**"Is that where-?" whispered Professor McGonagall.**

**"Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll that scar forever."**

**"Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"**

"Looks like Minnie likes the situation about as much as we do," Sirius said.

"Minnie?" Lily questioned.

"Don't ask," James replied quickly.

**"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground.**

Everyone laughed.

**Well—give him here, Hagrid—we'd better get this over with."**

**Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house.**

"**Could I—could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.**

"**Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall. "You'll wake the Muggles!"**

"**S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it—Lily an' James dead—an' poor Harry off ter live with Muggles-"**

"We don't like it either, Hagrid," James said. Then he looked thoughtful. "Will your sister even take him in or will she ditch him at an orphanage the first chance she gets?"

"Tuney's not that cold," Lily snapped.

"I wouldn't put it past her," Severus said. Lily glared at him.

"You stay out of this," she said.

"He hardly can, Lily, we can't just get rid of him," Remus pointed out. Lily sighed.

"I suppose your right, sorry, Sev," she said using his nickname out of habit.

"**Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to the other two.**

"You left my son on the doorstep?" Lily asked indignantly.

"It is the middle of the night," Mary reminded her.

"So, he's a baby, he shouldn't be left on a doorstep, what if some kidnapper or serial killer comes through?"

"In Little Whinging?" Severus snorted. "Highly unlikely, the last child molester there has been in prison for at least four or five years by then."

"Who would that be?' James asked suspiciously.

"Some man who abused his wife and kid out of jealousy. I don't know the details so don't ask," Severus snapped. Lily felt she should say something but held her tongue. Severus would tell them when he felt comfortable she supposed. After all, it was his father.

**For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.**

"**Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations."**

"**Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I best get this bike away. G'night Professor McGonagall—Professor Dumbledore, sir."**

**Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.**

**"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply.**

"So elegant," Savannah snickered.

**Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer.**

"I still think that thing sounds awesome," Sirius said.

**He clicked it once, and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out the tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.**

**"Good luck, Harry," he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone.**

**A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him as he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley…He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter—the boy who lived!"**

"That's the end of the chapter," Remus said.

"That was intense," Sirius said.

"I want to read next," Mary said snatching the book away.

Lily and Alice laughed at their friend.


	3. TVC

**Chapter 3: The Vanishing Glass**

**Author's Note: I don't own Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling does. Please review, good, bad, all of it helps! Enjoy!**

Chapter 3: Book 1

"**The Vanishing Glass,**" Mary began.

"Good, it sounds like the Dursley's will get what was coming to them," Sirius said evilly, rubbing his hands together.

**Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursleys had woken up to their nephew on their front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all. The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr. Dursley had seen the fateful news report about the owls. Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-colored bonnets**

The boys all burst out laughing. Savannah snorted but stopped at a look from Lily.

**-but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, and now photographs showed a large blonde boy riding his first bicycle, on a carousel at the fair, playing a computer game with his father, being hugged and kissed by his mother. The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house, too. **

"Petunia," Lily moaned. She knew that her sister wouldn't treat Harry like a second son, but to act like he didn't exist?

**Yet Harry Potter was still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long. His Aunt Petunia was awake and it was her shrill voice that made the first noise of the day. **

**"Up! Get up! Now!" **

"Guess there's no sleeping in in that house," Sirius said.

**Harry woke with a start. His aunt rapped on the door again. **

**"Up!" she screeched. Harry heard her walking toward the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the stove. He rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorcycle in it. He had funny feeling he'd had the same dream before. **

"How could he possibly remember that?" Frank asked.

"Some people have semi-photographic memories, maybe he does too," Lily said.

"I'm just going to smile and nod," Sirius said doing the actions.

**His aunt was back outside the door. **

**"Are you up yet?" she demanded. **

**"Nearly," said Harry. **

**"Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday." **

**Harry groaned. **

"She won't like that," Lily sighed.

**"What did you say?" his aunt snapped through the door. **

**"Nothing, nothing…"**

**Dudley's birthday—how could he have forgotten? Harry got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider off one of them, put them on. Harry was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept. **

"Where?" yelled Lily. That was the last straw.

"I can't believe her," James said indignantly.

"He would have his own room with anyone else in this room," Sirius said through gritted teeth.

**When he was dressed he went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents. It looked as though Dudley had gotten the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike. **

"He doesn't sound like the type who would use a racing bike," Frank commented.

**Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise—unless of course it involved punching somebody. **

**Dudley's favorite punching bag was Harry,**

"What?" Lily screamed. "I don't believe this."

"If I thought I disliked Lily's family before, it's nothing compared to this," James muttered angrily.

**but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast. **

"Nice, he inherited that from you," Sirius snickered looking at James.

"Why do you say that?" Alice asked.

"If he doesn't want to be caught, he won't be." Remus said. "At least when he's on the ground,"

**He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's, and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was. **

"This just gets better and better," Lily muttered mutinously. James and Mary scooted away from her. She needed space.

**Harry had a thin face, knobby knees, black hair, and bright green eyes. **

"Sound like he looks like you with Lily's eyes," Savannah said. "Poor boy,"

"What's wrong with looking like me?" James asked his cousin indignantly.

"Need I list the many reasons?" she asked.

**He wore round glasses held together with a lot of Scotch tape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose. The only thing Harry liked about his appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead that was shaped like a bolt of lightning. **

"That must be where the curse hit him," Alice said quietly.

**He had had it as long as he could remember, and the first question he could ever remember asking his Aunt Petunia was how he had gotten it. **

**"In the car crash when your parents died." She had said. **

"A car crash? That was the best excuse you could come up with you hag?" Sirius shouted in frustration.

"Why would they lie about something like that?" Savannah demanded.

"Maybe they were hoping Harry wouldn't be a wizard," Lily said. "If that turned out true then they would have no reason to tell him we were."

"Still," James muttered.

**"And don't ask questions."**

_**Don't ask questions**_**—that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys. **

"How can he learn if he doesn't ask?" Remus said.

"A library? It seems to work for you," Sirius said. Remus glared at him.

**Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon. **

**"Comb your hair!" he barked, by way of morning greeting. **

"Sorry, Dursley, but a comb is useless," James said ruffling his own hair.

"Prongs has always been jealous of my perfect hair," Sirius said running a hand through his silky locks. James rolled his eyes.

"Like I said, one day it will turn on you," he joked.

"And then I'll have to dump you," Savannah said.

"Wow, shallow are we?" Sirius asked. Savannah just smiled.

**About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that Harry needed a haircut. Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way—all over the place. **

"Ain't that the truth," James muttered.

**Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large pink face, not much neck, small, watery blue eyes, and thick blonde hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head. **

"Sounds like a hairy pig," James commented. Mary snorted. "What?" James demanded.

**Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel—Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig. **

Everyone burst out laughing.

"Like father, like son, eh?" Frank said.

**Harry put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile, was counting his presents. His face fell.**

**"Thirty-six," he said looking up at his mother and father. "That's two less than last year." **

"Oh, brother," Regulus said. "Is he going to throw a tantrum because he doesn't have enough presents?"

**"Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mummy and Daddy." **

**"All right, thirty-seven then," said Dudley going red in the face. Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over. **

"At least someone in that household is sensible," Alice sighed.

"Duh, he shouldn't even be there though," Sirius said bitterly. He knew James would make him the godfather. That should have meant Harry was supposed to be with him. So why wasn't he?

**Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger, too, because she said quickly, "And we'll buy you another **_**two**_** presents while we're out today. How's that popkin? **_**Two**_** more presents. Is that all right?" **

"They really have horrible parenting skills," Alice sighed with disgust.

"I take it you wouldn't spoil your son, if you had one?" Mary asked. Harry glanced at Neville. He was watching his mother.

"Of course I would, but he would know his limits," Alice explained.

"Sounds like a good plan," Lily said. "Wish I'd be able to apply it."

"Maybe you will," James said. Everyone looked at him. "These books came to us, in particular, for a reason. Maybe we can change the future."

"Maybe," Lily said. She was uncomfortable with the idea of changing the future. She had read too many science fiction novels.

**Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work. Finally, he said slowly, "So I'll have thirty…thirty…" **

"Merlin, he can't count…" Sirius said amused.

**"Thirty-nine, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia. **

**"Oh." Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. "All right then." **

**"Uncle Vernon chuckled. **

**"Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. At a boy, Dudley!" He ruffled Dudley's hair. **

**At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a video camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games, and a VCR. He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone looking both angry and worried. **

**"Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. She can't take him." **

"So is she on Harry duty now instead of Diggle duty?" Frank sniggered.

"Apparently," Mary said.

**She jerked her head in Harry's direction. **

"Well that's rude," Savannah said.

"It's no different than what Binns does to students all the time," Regulus said.

"Good point," Sirius snickered.

**Dudley's mouth fell open in horror, but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday, his parents took him and a friend out for the day, to adventure parks, hamburger restaurants, or the movies. Every year, Harry was left behind with Mrs. Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away. Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs. Figg made him look at photographs of all the cats she'd ever owned. **

**"Now what?" said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd planned this. Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs. Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr. Paws, and Tufty again. **

**"We could phone Marge," Uncle Vernon suggested. **

**"Don't be silly, Vernon, she hates the boy." **

"And I'm sure he hates you too," James muttered.

**The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn't there—or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug. **

**"What about what's-her-name, your friend—Yvonne?"**

**"On vacation in Majorca," snapped Aunt Petunia. **

**"You could just leave me here." Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go on Dudley's computer). **

"Won't happen," Lily said bitterly. "Just because you suggested it,"

**Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon. **

**"And come back to the house in ruins?" she snarled. **

"Yes, because Harry's going to blow up the house while you're gone," scoffed Mary.

**"I won't blow up the house," said Harry, but they weren't listening. **

**"I suppose we could take him to the zoo," said Aunt Petunia slowly, "…and leave him in the car…"**

"He is not a dog!" Lily shouted.

**"That car's new; he's not sitting in it alone..." **

**Dudley began to cry loudly. In fact, he wasn't really crying—it had been years since he'd really cried—but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted. **

"Brat," muttered Sirius.

**"Dinky Duddydums,**

The room filled with laughter.

"Nice nickname," Sirius snorted.

**don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!" she cried. Just then, the doorbell rang—"Oh, good Lord, they're here!" said Aunt Petunia frantically—and a moment later, Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother. Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat. He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them. Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once. **

**Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, was sitting in the back of Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for first time in his life.**

"The first time?" Regulus asked. "Isn't it kind of a Muggle thing to go to the zoo all the time?"

"Yes, but his aunt and uncle are like Mum and Dad," Sirius snapped.

"I noticed, but still…" Regulus trailed off.

**His aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside. **

**"I'm warning you," he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to Harry's, "I'm warning you now, boy—any funny business, anything at all—and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas." **

**"I'm not going to do anything," said Harry, "honestly…"**

**But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No one ever did. **

**The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was just no good telling the Dursleys he didn't make them happen. **

"Cause you'd be lying," James sniggered.

**Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barbers looking as he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of kitchen scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except his bangs, which she left "to hide that horrible scar." **

"I can't believe her," Lily said into her hand.

**Dudley had laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imaging school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and taped glasses. **

"Hmm, this situation sounds oddly familiar," Sirius said glaring at Snape.

"I was eleven," Severus snapped. Lily looked between them but decided not to say anything.

**Next morning, however, he had gotten up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off. **

"Nice," Frank said.

"Petunia didn't like that, did she?" Lily asked.

"Here," Mary said reading again.

**He had been given a week in the cupboard for this, even though he had tried to explain that he couldn't explain how it had grown back so quickly. **

"Nope, not happy," Sirius said.

"She should know better. She knows it's accidental magic," Lily said sourly.

**Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting sweater of Dudley's (brown with orange puff balls). **

"Oooo," resounded around the room.

"That's nasty," Alice said.

**The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a hand puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry. Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief, Harry wasn't punished. **

"See, Tuney knew what was going on, she's just too stubborn to admit it," Lily said.

"Tuney?" James sniggered. Lily blushed.

"It's what I called her when we were kids," She said defensively.

**On the other hand, he'd gotten into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens. Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was sitting on the chimney. **

"Did he just Apparate?" Ron asked.

"I'm not sure. I don't think so…" Lily said. He was only…well…he was underage for sure.

"He had to have, there's no other way," Sirius said.

**The Dursleys had received a very angry letter from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school buildings. But all he'd tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard) was jump behind the big trashcans outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him mid-jump.**

"He sounds like Moony," James chortled.

"How so?" Remus demanded.

"'I can't go to class I might have an ulcer' was one of your better ones," Sirius said. Remus blushed.

"Oh shut up,"

**But today, nothing was going to go wrong. **

**It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, His cupboard, or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living room. **

**While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank, and Harry were just a few of his favorite subjects. This morning, it was motorcycles. **

**"…roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums," he said, as motorcycle overtook them. **

**"I had a dream about a motorcycle," said Harry, remembering suddenly. "It was flying." **

"Seems he has his father's tact," Lily complained.

"I'm not that bad," James complained.

"How many times did you bluntly ask me out?" Lily asked. James remained silent. "  
I thought so," she said.

**Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beet with a mustache: "MOTORCYCLES DON'T FLY!" **

"Oh dear," Alice whispered.

**Dudley and Piers sniggered. **

**"I know they don't," said Harry. "It was only a dream." **

**But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys hated even more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even a cartoon—they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas. **

**It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with families. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice pop.**

"Oh well, at least it was something," James said.

"That's what I always got at the zoo," Lily smiled.

**It wasn't bad either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head who looked remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blonde.**

Everyone laughed.

**Harry had best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favorite hobby of hitting him. They ate in the zoo restaurant, and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbockers glory didn't have enough ice cream on top, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed to finish the first. **

**Harry felt, afterward, that he should have known it was all too good to last. **

'I don't like the sound of that," Alice said.

"No, it sounds like he's going to get in trouble again for accidental magic," Mary agreed.

**After lunch they went to the reptile house. It was cool and dark in there, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone. Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place. It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car and crushed it into a trash can—but at the moment it didn't look in the mood. In fact, it was fast asleep. **

"How can you tell?" Lily asked. "I thought they didn't have eyelids."

"Maybe it's just not moving," James suggested.

"Maybe," Lily said.

**Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils. **

**"Make it move," he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge. **

**"Do it again," Dudley ordered. Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on. **

**"This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away. **

**Harry moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself—no company except stupid people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard as a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up; at least he got to visit the rest of the house. **

"I don't know, at least the zookeepers care what happens to the snake," Sirius said.

**The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were on a level with Harry's. **

**It **_**winked**_**. **

"What the-"Sirius said.

"But, it has no eyelids," Mary said mimicking Lily.

"Who cares, the snake can understand him!" Sirius said in awe.

"But, that would mean…" Regulus trailed off.

"He can speak to snakes?" Lily asked.

"Impossible, it's passed down by genetics," James said. "I certainly can't."

"Neither can I…" Lily said.

"Then how…?" Remus said.

"Maybe the books will tell us," Severus suggested.

**Harry stared. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked too. **

**The snake jerked its head toward Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly **

_**"I get that all the time." **_

**"I know," Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear him. "It must be really annoying."**

**The snake nodded vigorously.**

"This is not normal," Sirius said.

"We're witches and wizards, what exactly is normal?" Mary asked.

"Not that," Sirius said.

**"Where do you come from anyway?" Harry asked. **

**The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry peered a it. **

**Boa Constrictor, Brazil.**

**"Was it nice there?"**

**The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on: This specimen was bred in the zoo. "Oh, I see—so you've never been to Brazil?" **

"I never thought snakes would be…_nice_," Mary spoke from behind the book.

**As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of them jump. "DUDLEY! MR. DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!" **

**Dudley came waddling toward them as fast as he could. **

**"Out of the way, you," he said, punching Harry in the ribs. Caught by surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor.**

"Bullying prat," Sirius muttered.

"Takes one to know one," Severus mumbled. Sirius moved but Savannah held him back.

"He's right you know, you are a bully," she said softly. Sirius calmed down. He had never realized it before. He felt guilt grip him but he didn't let it show.

**What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened—one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror. **

**Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished. **

"That was…I can't even say," Lily muttered shaking her head, her hand covering her face.

"I think it was brilliant," Sirius chortled.

"And dangerous," Mary voiced.

"But he deserved it," Frank said.

"Touché," Mary sighed.

**The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out onto the floor. People throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits. **

**As snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, "**_**Brazil, here I come…Thanksss, amigo**_**." **

**The keeper of the reptile house was in shock. **

**"But the glass," he kept saying, "where did the glass go?" **

**The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong, sweet tea while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber. As far as Harry had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were all back in Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten off his leg, while Piers was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death. But worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, "Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry?"**

"Oh, boy," James grimaced.

"Tough luck, bud," Sirius said. "Run while you still can."

"He's in a moving vehicle," Lily snapped.

"Oh right," Sirius said.

**Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting in on Harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say," Go—cupboard—no meals," before he collapsed into a chair, and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy. **

**Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking into the kitchen for some food. **

**He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, as long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents had died in that car crash. He couldn't remember being in the car when his parents had died. Sometimes, when he strained his memory during long hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burning pain on his forehead. **

"Merlin's beard that sounds like the Killing Curse" Remus said.

"Impossible, no one can survive the Killing Curse," Regulus said.

"You would know," Sirius muttered darkly. Regulus glared.

"Just so you know, I've never seen anyone die."

"You haven't?" Sirius asked suspiciously.

"Sirius, I couldn't even watch you kill the spider you found in my room," Regulus pointed out.

**This he supposed, was the car crash, though he couldn't imagine where all the light came from. He couldn't remember his parents at all.**

Lily leaned against James thinking about what he had said previously. Her son could remember her, could grow up happy, knowing who he was. But how much would change for the worst? What if Harry gets married in the future but won't meet her if they changed the time line? What if he doesn't make the same friends or become the same person? Was it worth it?

**His aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and of course he was forbidden to ask questions. There were no photographs of them in the house. **

**When he had been younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take him away, but it had never happened; the Dursleys were his only family. Yet sometimes he thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know him. Very strange strangers they were, too. A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. After asking Harry furiously if he knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything. A wild-looking old woman dressed all in green had merrily at him once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple coat had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day and then walked away without a word. The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry tried to get a closer look. **

**At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang. **

"That's the end," Mary said.

"I'll read next," Lily said.


End file.
